Thank You For Not Dying
by Obi the Kid
Summary: A young Tanner loses it when Dashen gets sick. Tanner POV.


**Chapter Title:** Thank You For Not Dying

**Series Title**: Unlikely Brothers

**Author:** Obi the Kid

**POV:** Dashen (Tanner is 11, Dash is 17)

**Chapter Summary:** A young Tanner loses it when Dashen gets sick. Tanner POV.

**Series Summary:** A series of non-chronological stories taking place in the world of my OC's Dashen and Tannerlin.

**Rating:** PG

**Characters:** Tannerlin Vai, Dashen Lesedi, Virgil Colton, Healer Quin Kalis

* * *

"COLTON! SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!" I screamed until my voice ran hoarse and all to no avail. Colton wasn't here. There weren't neighbors close enough to hear me. It was also the middle of the night. Just past midnight and Dashen was lying on the carpet of Colton's common room floor, vomiting blood and seizing in agony. I got him upright, only to have him drag me down to the floor again. On the way, I fell into one of the end tables, whacked my head on a thick glass sculpture, and broke the sculpture and the skin on the side of my face on the way down. The glass shattered and my blood joined my brother's.

I kept yelling. I kept screaming. I couldn't find my comlink. And I kept thinking that Master Ayden would have been so disappointed in me for losing my focus so completely when someone needed help. Jedi are – were – renowned for maintaining calm in the face of crazy. Me? I was in full fledged panic mode and not far from crashing.

Dashen had become dead weight in my lap. He was older and taller than me and…and I knew he was dying. So much blood had come up. There was so much pain. And still I screamed, until Dash's next excruciating bought had him doubled over just enough for me to see that he'd fallen on his comlink.

I didn't have mine, but his I could use…Healer. I needed to call Healer Kalis. But I didn't know her com number. I was shaking so bad that I couldn't even remember her first name! Colton! I could call Colton wherever he was. He'd gone out of town for a few days, right? I think. Or maybe he was closer than that. Maybe I could get Dash to the hospital myself. No. No. We had no transport and he was heavier than I could manage. Clumsily then, I tried to call on the Force to lift or move him. I only succeeded in jerking him around and creating more pain. I punched in Colton's com number. He didn't answer. I tried again, and again, and again until he connected and huffed in response. "What the hell, Dash. This better be life and death, or I swear to all that is frozen on Hoth that I _will_ kill you."

To his large angry voice, mine became very small. Every word wavered. Every syllable flowed over with anxious emotion. "Colton, this is Tannerlin. Dashen is sick, really really sick. He's bleeding and I can't make it stop, and he's cold all over and I broke something, a table or a sculpture, something glass and I'm sorry, I hit my head and he's bleeding all over, all over inside and I can't, I don't know how to find Healer Kalis and I don't know what to do…"

Words ran over each other in one giant sentence and they only stopped when Colton demanded they do so. He ceased being enraged and immediately became something much different. "Tannerlin, stop it. Stop it now. Settle yourself. Call Quin right away. Her private com is 71295. Call her now. Now! Understand? I'll be there as soon as I can, but I'm not close by. Call her. Do it now."

I disconnected from Colton and punched in the number he said. My hands were trembling so much, I had to do it several times before I could keep them still enough to get the number right. There was no response, just a notice to leave a message that he would retrieve later. I tried again and again, but she didn't answer. Dash kept vomiting and I held onto him as tight as I could. I took hold of his hand, but his hand was cold and shaking and I still couldn't find my Jedi focus. Or control. I had nothing and I knew I was failing my training. Everything that Master Ayden had taught me before his death. None of it mattered now that I needed it to.

The comlink buzzed in my hand. Colton.

"Did you talk to Quin?"

Quin. Healer Kalis' first name. I couldn't remember something so simple!

"I couldn't find her," I spilled into the com, "the number kept telling me to leave a message and I did and tried again and again, but she didn't answer and…"

"Damn it! You are calling her office number. You need to call 71295. You put a 6 on the end. That's her office. Her private com is never off."

Colton was angry again and I struggled to keep from losing myself. I couldn't find my Jedi control. I didn't even know where to look for it. And Dashen was still in my lap and still sick and still dying. Colton spoke again.

"She'll be there soon, kid, okay? I found her."

That quickly? I was busy calling the wrong number for ten minutes and Colton managed in thirty seconds.

"Tannerlin, listen to me. I'm on my way home, all right?" His voice was softer now. Not angry anymore. Not at me. Not at my failure.

I on the other hand was having an impossible time speaking or doing anything remotely useful…other than sitting on the floor with my bleeding, dying brother in my arms.

"Tannerlin!" Came the bark through the com.

I blathered out my response. "I'm sorry, Colton. I'm sorry. I can't help him or make any of this stop. He can't die. Please tell me he won't die. I broke your glass bird thing. It fell over and hit my head and please don't let him die. Please…"

"I can't tell you that. But I know that Quin can work miracles. I'm on my way home now. If you aren't there when I get there, I'll see you at the hospital. It's okay. Focus on your brother."

And my mind kept floating back to unimportant things as I said, "but I broke the glass thing, that bird thing you like so much and…"

"Stop it, Tanner. That's nothing that can't be replaced. Settle down. Find that focus you're always working on. Quin will be there soon."

We disconnected again and I dropped the comlink from my quivering hands. I held onto Dash as much as I could without causing him more pain, hoping that the healer arrived soon and that my brother didn't die in the time between. I couldn't lose him. I just couldn't.

The door buzzed open and Healer Quin Kalis hurried in flanked by another healer. Immediately they took Dashen from me and began trying to fix him. I fell onto my backside to get out of the way. They didn't want to move him until they could stabilize him. A few minutes passed and Colton burst through the door. He took a quick glance at the bloody mess on his once expensive white carpet before turning attention to the healers.

Healer Kalis addressed him. "It's that damn Sanguine virus. I'll put money on it, Virgil. I thought we'd seen the last of that bug. We'll take care of him. Give us a couple hours to inject and tube him. Treatment is as uncomfortable as the virus, but effective in most patients. We'll get this."

Sanguine virus? I'd never heard of it, but was grateful the healers had. Maybe there was hope? Maybe my brother wouldn't die? And then Colton's imposing form knelt in front of me and cupped his large hands around my face. I felt so numb all over that it took a few seconds for the feeling to register.

"Ugly wound there, kid." He said as his thumb glazed over the blood. Then he glanced over at the broken glass. And back to me. "It's a thing, Tanner, nothing more. Here," a white cloth was pulled from his pocket and he set it against the wound on my head. I lost it then, completely lost it. My stomach hurt from crying so hard, my face felt numb and my nose was stuffy. Next thing I knew, I found myself wrapped in strong arms. Long blond hair hanging in my face tickled my nose, but it didn't stop me from crying for what felt like forever.

A few hours later, Colton and I sat together at Dash's bedside. My brother was tubed in every way imaginable and unconscious…but alive. The healers had purposely sunk him into what they called a 'two day coma.' To allow his damaged stomach and throat to begin to heal. He'd vomited so much blood and acid that there had been damage. I didn't understand all that they said, but Colton had told us in times before, that he trusted Healer Kalis with his life and without question. How could I argue with that?

I wanted to stay at the hospital until Dash woke up, but there was no telling how long that might be. They would reduce the coma-causing drugs in two days, but they healers said that he might sleep for days after. I needed to go home. Be in my own bed. Go to school. Try and get back to normal. My own wound was minor. No concussion. I felt broken though. I failed in my training, I know I had. I didn't keep calm. I didn't control the situation. Sure, I hadn't fallen apart completely until Colton got there, but my lack of focus when needing it the most bothered me.

My nine years under the care of the Jedi seemed to be for nothing. I mean, if I couldn't even keep calm when…

A big hand tousled my hair. "Wallowing in self pity I would assume, hey kid?"

Colton had gone and come back and I hadn't even noticed.

"A little bit." I managed in reply.

"Lost control, failed everyone, that type of thing?"

How did he know? "Yes."

"You're eleven years old, Tanner. No child your age should ever be able to handle that situation with complete cool and calm. Jedi or not. You stayed with him. That counts for a lot. So, go easy on the self punishment. It's not worth it. The day you are perfect, is the day that I never get interrupted in the middle of the night while I'm…well, let's leave that be. You did right to call me and keep calling me until I answered. It was that important. Okay? Don't fault yourself for that." He smiled at me and then said, "And now, how about you tell Dash that you're leaving for a bit. It's well past dawn and we need to get you home and to bed. I've already called your school to excuse you from class today."

I gave Colton a small pained nod. He was always one step ahead of the game when it came to Dash and me. Standing at his bedside, I carefully grasped my brother's right hand. It was motionless, but warm.

"Dash, I'll see you later today. You just do what the healers say and you'll get better. Thank you for not dying, okay?"

Turning to leave, I was at the door when I hurried a few steps back to my brother. I set my temple to his and told him that I loved him and for him not to worry about me while he was recovering.

_I'd _worry about _him _though.

Five days later, my brother woke up. I was there when he did.

* * *

The End.


End file.
